BANGKOK (AP) — Supporters of Myanmar’s imprisoned ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi carried out peaceful flower-themed protests marking her 79th birthday on Wednesday, some taking to the streets in defiance of the military government’s repression. Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize winner who led a decades-long struggle against military rule, was detained on Feb. […]
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Myanmar’s economy in crisis as civil strife disrupts trade and livelihoods
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar, once a thriving emerging economy, is struggling to regain momentum as the country’s civil war increasingly disrupts trade and livelihoods. World Bank economists estimate the country’s economy grew at a 1% annual pace in the year that ended in March, more slowly than earlier expected, according to a report i ssued […]
Myanmar’s military government denies allegations by ethnic army foe that it killed 76 villagers
BANGKOK (AP) — A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government denied accusations that army troops and their local allies killed 76 people when they entered a village last week in the western state of Rakhine, state-controlled media reported Wednesday. Rakhine has become a focal point for Myanmar’s nationwide civil war, in which pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic […]
Tin Oo, co-founder of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy with Aung San Suu Kyi, dies at 97
BANGKOK (AP) — Tin Oo, one of the closest associates of Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as a co-founder of her National League for Democracy party, has died. He was 97. Tin Oo died Saturday morning at Yangon General Hospital, said Moh Khan, a charity worker citing a member of his […]
Myanmar’s ethnic armies consolidate strongholds as junta weakens, reports say
(Reuters) – Myanmar’s ruling junta has lost control over vast tracts of territory, including access to much of its international borders, allowing ethnic armed groups to expand and consolidate regions under their control, two reports assessing the conflict said on Thursday. The country of 55 million people has been in turmoil since February, 2021 when […]
Myanmar’s figurehead vice president, a rare holdover from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, steps down
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s Vice President Henry Van Thio, who served in the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and then continued in the position after the military ousted her to seize power in 2021, is stepping down for unspecified health reasons, state media said Monday. State television MRTV announced on Monday night that […]
Myanmar’s jailed ex-leader Suu Kyi transferred due to heatwave
Myanmar’s ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred from prison to another location. Local media, citing military junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun, reported that the reason for the move was concern for the 78-year-old’s health in view of the high temperatures in the capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi was being held . […]
Myanmar’s ethnic Karen guerrillas claim to have seized the last army base defending key border town
BANGKOK (AP) — Guerrillas from the Karen ethnic minority on Thursday claimed to have captured the last of the army’s outposts in Myawaddy township in eastern Myanmar, virtually clearing the way for them to take over the town of Myawaddy, the major crossing point for trade with Thailand. The Karen National Union, the ethnic group’s […]
Myanmar’s worst violence since the military takeover is intensifying the crisis, the UN says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Myanmar’s escalating conflict and worst violence since the military takeover in 2021 are having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic needs of millions of people — as well as “alarming spillover effects” in the region, U.N. officials said Thursday. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told […]
Myanmar’s military makes its annual parade of strength despite unprecedented battlefield losses
BANGKOK (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s ruling military council marked Armed Forces Day on Wednesday with a speech claiming that the nation’s youth were being tricked into supporting the resistance against army rule, and that ethnic armed groups allied with the resistance engage in drug trafficking, natural resources smuggling and illegal gambling. Senior Gen. […]
Myanmar’s military blames technical fault for crash of fighter jet on training flight
BANGKOK (AP) — A Myanmar fighter jet crashed and burned on Thursday in the countryside of the central Magway region due to what was described as a technical fault during training maneuvers, state television MRTV reported. The crash took place shortly after noon and the pilot was reported to have ejected from the plane and […]
Myanmar’s military government pardons 10,000 prisoners to mark Independence Day
Myanmar’s military government has pardoned nearly 10,000 prisoners to mark the 76th anniversary of gaining independence from Britain – but it was not immediately clear if any of those released include the thousands of political detainees jailed for opposing army rule. The head of Myanmar ’s military council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, pardoned 9,652 […]